Harness for wearable respiratory device

ABSTRACT

Some embodiments of the invention are directed to a system configured to support a mask worn on a human head, such as over the human&#39;s mouth. The system may comprise a strap having two ends. The strap is adapted to affix to the mask at the ends, and to surround the sides of the head. A headband is adapted to rest approximately over the crown of the head, and comprises one or more features adapted to support the strap on its path around the head so that the strap rests above the human&#39;s ears.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/233,095, entitled “HarnessFor Wearable Respiratory Device,” filed Aug. 13, 2021, bearing AttorneyDocket No. V0340.70006US00, the entirety of which is incorporated hereinby reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to systems,methods and devices for monitoring, measuring, controlling orinfluencing human breath.

BACKGROUND

Numerous therapeutic, palliative, protective or diagnostic applicationsrequire the use of breathing masks that are worn by a person and coverthe mouth, and often the nose as well. Such masks generally require amechanism to secure them to the user's face, such as one or more strapsor a harness configured to wrap around the head, the neck or the ears ofthe user.

Some of the simplest protective masks only rely on straps that attach tothe ears, but these are generally not sufficiently secure or comfortablefor most applications. This is particularly true when the mask isheavier or requires a tight seal and is compounded when the userrequires mobility for work or physical activity while wearing the mask.An illustrative case is that of devices that utilize sensor equippedbreathing masks to track respiratory and metabolic measurements, forexample during athletic training, as described in US-2021-0085247-A1 andin incorporated as reference.

Such masks generally depend on a harness structure of some kind tosecure the breathing mask. Examples of such harness structures can befound in various products from manufacturers such as protective masksfrom 3M (St. Paul, Minn.) and sleep-apnea CPAP systems from PhilipsRespironics (Murrysville, Pa.).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A and 1B schematically depict a representative harness;

FIG. 2 schematically depicts a representative system configured tosupport a mask on a human head, in accordance with some embodiments ofthe invention; and

FIGS. 3A and 3B schematically depicts a representative system configuredto support a mask on a human head, in accordance with some embodimentsof the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The Assignee has appreciated that while the exemplary harness structuresreferenced above are typically functionally adequate, they presentseveral disadvantages in terms of complexity, difficulty of adjustment,and how they are worn and removed. Some embodiments of the inventionaddress these and other shortcomings of the prior art.

FIGS. 1A and 1B depict arrangements where a single strap (100) is usedas a strap supporting a breathing mask (110). The strap can be made ofany suitable material including but not limited to fabric, rubber,webbing or any elastic composites. The strap attaches to the mask bythreading through a slot or wrapping around a suitable appendage, andits length or tension can be adjusted. In some embodiments theadjustment utilizes a sliding clip or a Velcro® type attachment of thefolded part of the strap. Any other means of attaching the strap to themask can be used, including snaps, magnets, buttons, clips.

A single band of elastic webbing would appear to be the simplest andmost cost-effective solution for a strap, but in and of itself does notrepresent a suitable solution for all masks. The challenge with using asingle band is that its path around the back of the head is notnecessarily stable in the required position (as in FIG. 1A), and itcould slip downwards towards the neck (as in FIG. 1B), above or belowthe inion of the skull (150). This can happen unintentionally as a lowerpoint can provide a shorter path for the strap than higher points in theback of the head. If the strap is set at a lower point in the back ofthe head, its tension may not provide sufficient upward pull, and themask may not be held securely—especially under motion.

FIG. 2 shows schematically a representative embodiment of the inventionwhere this problem is addressed with an additional element. The solutiondoes not require structural modifications the strap itself, such asbifurcations, seams, multiple segments of straps, or adjustableconnections or attachments, thus simplifying design and production. Inthis embodiment it is still a single band (200) that wraps around thehead, but it is supported at two points along its path around thehead—one on each side of the head above the ear—by a separate piece ofmaterial that is essentially a headband (220) with its apex (221) rightover the crown of the head and sloping down both sides of the headtowards the ears. Near each of the two tips (230) of the headband areslots (235) and the strap is threaded though these slots. The strapwraps around the head and naturally settles to the nearest point (240)—which in some cases will be below the inion (250)— thus creating anangle in the stretched strap as it threads through the slots (235).

The headband can be made of any suitable material including but notlimited to plastic, metal or fabric, as well as padding for comfort. Insome embodiments the headband is made of materials that is stiffer andless elastic than the strap, to improve the stability of thecombination. This is a further advantage of the separate headband inthat it allows a material selection with different properties than thestrap.

The result is that the strap naturally creates an upward pull on themask towards the tips of the headband, while proceeding at an angle fromthat point towards the back of the head. This is a very stableconfiguration for several reasons. First, the strap can settle on ashorter or more stable path around the back of the head where neitherthe tension in the strap not gravity are likely to cause it to slip upor down, even when the user is moving vigorously or perspiring. Secondlythe strap is pulling the headband itself downward and securing itsposition relative to the head thereby making it less likely to move aswell. All this is achieved while providing an upward and backward pullon the mask itself, which is the required force vector to secure themask in its intended position.

The structures at the tips of the headband can be designed in anysuitable fashion that can securely support the strap at its intendedposition. In some embodiments more than one slot is configured on eachside, so that the strap is threaded through a sequence of slots. Such anembodiment is depicted schematically in FIG. 3A. This design canintroduce several advantages. Among the advantages of doing this is thatthe strap trajectory bends at multiple points creating a sequence ofbends in the strap, each of these having a smaller deflection angle thanthe case of a single bend, which can help minimize strain and bunchingup of the strap. In some embodiments the multiple slots are not parallelbut rather set at angles relative to each other to further improve thedistribution of strain and minimize distortion, while also helpingorient the strap towards its preferred orientation.

Another advantage of having multiple slots is that in this configurationthat strap stabilizes the orientation of the headband. In someembodiments the elasticity of the strap can generate a restoring torquewhen the headband is tilted forward or backward, tending to return it toits upright orientation.

A similar result, in terms of the stabilizing torque and distributedstrain can be achieved with other structures at the tip of the headband.In one embodiment the strap passes through a tunnel segment or along ashelf that are fixed to the headband near its tips. The tunnel or shelfcan be curved, similarly to the multiple-slot configuration, todistribute the stain and possibly improve the stability. An example ofsuch an embodiment is shown schematically in FIG. 3B.

The strap and the headband, separately, can each be further configuredwith a wider or softer pad to improve comfort. Such pads can be locatedin the vicinity of pressure points, including but not limited to thecrown of the head for the headband or the back of the head for thestrap.

Example embodiments of the methods and components of the current subjectmatter have been described herein. These example embodiments have beendescribed for illustrative purposes only and are not limiting. Otherembodiments are possible and are covered by the current subject matter.Such embodiments will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevantart(s) based on the teachings contained herein. Thus, the breadth andscope of the current subject matter should not be limited by any of theabove-described exemplary embodiments but should be defined only inaccordance with the following claims and their equivalents.

1. A system for supporting a mask on a human head, comprising a strapand a headband, where: the strap comprises an elastic material,including but not limited to fabric, rubber or webbing that isconfigured to surround the sides and back of the head while attaching onits two ends to the mask and securing it against the face; the headbandis shaped like an arch and configured to rest approximately over thecrown of the head while conforming to both sides of the head; theheadband is further configured with features at both of its tips thatcan attach to or support the strap, and the headband and the strap areseparate pieces so that when the mask is worn by a user, the strap isattached to the mask and forms a path around the head, where the strapis supported along its path around the head and above the ears by thefeatures at the tips of the headband, thereby pulling the strap slightlyupward without the strap resting on the user's ears.
 2. The system ofclaim 1, where the support of the headband creates a bend in the strapand results in a slight upward pull on the mask while the strap pullsthe headband downwards.
 3. The system of claim 1, where the headbandcomprises a plastic polymer or a composite material with greaterstiffness than the strap.
 4. The system of claim 1, where the strap issupported at more than one point at each end of the headband.
 5. Thesystem of claim 1, where the supporting feature in the headband iscomprises at least one slot that the strap can be threaded through.
 6. Asystem for measuring, assisting or managing breath when it is worn on aperson, comprising a mask and a harness, the mask configured tocircumscribe an area of the person's face that includes at least one ofthe mouth and the nostrils the harness comprising a main strap and aseparate supporting headband, where the strap comprises a continuousband of fabric, rubber, webbing or elastic composite that is configuredto surround the sides and back of the head while attaching to the maskon each of its two ends and pulling the mask against the face; theheadband is configured to rest approximately over the crown of the headwith its and extend along sides of the head to a point that is near theears, the headband is further configured with features at both of itstips that can attach to or support the strap, and the headband and thestrap are separate pieces of material so that when the mask is worn by auser, the strap is attached to the mask and forms a path around thehead, where the strap is supported along its path around the head andabove the ears by the features at the tips of the headband, therebypulling the strap slightly upward without the strap resting on theuser's ears.